Have you heard
some bad news–news that turns
your world upside down? Perhaps you have heard that you face a horrifying
illness that has the possibility to take your life? Or maybe someone you love
faces forces beyond their human control. I have been in your shoes. I know the
fear that rises when you hear news like that. It claims your heart and mind. As
fear consumed my life, I was convinced it was going to destroy me before any
cancer.
The Word became my life. I needed
help and answers, and I believed with all my heart I could find them in the
Word. I discovered 2 Timothy 1:7. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear;
but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” God had not given me this
“spirit” of fear, but one of power, one of love, and one of a sound mind. This
fear, of course, was not from him, and greater still, He had given me power to
overcome it. The promise was that it was possible to know His love, and have a
mind free from torment. How could I discover that power and
peace?
It was at this
time I discovered Philippians 4:6-7. I had read these verses before, but now I
clung to them like a drowning woman. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in
every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your
requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will
guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”. The fear had to be addressed
before I could even consider what was next. There two verses helped me address
this fear on a daily basis. I believed what they told me, and I wanted to know
His peace through what was coming in my life. Every day they helped me give my
fear to God for what that day had to offer. His peace soon started to overcome
the fear.
I wanted to
believe Him for the greatest promise. I wanted to have greater faith to believe
that this illness would be conquered. And then I found a verse that revealed to
me my responsibility in this journey. ''Beloved, I wish above all things that
thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” (3 John 2).
Paul might have been speaking to Gaius, but in these words, God was speaking
straight to my heart. Above all things, God wished me to prosper and have
health. “Even as my soul prospered” or “even as I grew spiritually” told me that
with spiritual growth I would realize the faith to believe in His
promise.
His power to
handle your battle against your fear is available at all times. Seek Him, and
His truth for your life in His Word. Claim it, and use it daily. His power, His
strength, His faithfulness, His consistency, His balance-it is all yours to
exercise everyday. You can never ask too much of God. His provision is unending
for each moment you face. He has made a way to provide exactly what is needed
for your journey. You are His child, and He will not forsake you or leave you.
Seek Him, and you are never alone.
Lynn Lacher
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